Caltech ISBNs: Home

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a unique numeric commercial book identifier. 

An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation (except reprintings) of a book. For example, an ebook, a paperback, and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, and 10 digits long if assigned before 2007.

Occasionally, a book may appear without a printed ISBN if it is printed privately or the author does not follow the usual ISBN procedure; however, this can be rectified later.

As a service to the Caltech community, the Caltech Library provides ISBNs for self-published materials.

If you are interested in obtaining an ISBN for your self-published book, please contact the Library.

Before requesting an ISBN for your book, please gather the following information.  The library will ask you to include it in an email.

• Author(s)’ names and or contributors(s) name(s)
• Title and subtitle for set ( and each volume title if different)
• Subject of title (up to 2)
• Edition information
• Volume information (number of volumes, volume number of each title if different)
• Pagination
• Illustrations in book?
• Formats in which book will appear – each format gets own ISBN: paperback, hardback, ebook
• Type of binding (paperback or hardback) for each
• Where book will be sold
• Publication date
• Price information
• Target audience
• Cover image if available - JPG format is best.